After 650 begins, the No. 67 has lastly received a NASCAR Cup race

For individuals who intently observe or actually have a informal curiosity in NASCAR automobile quantity stats, that is the story for you. Half-time driver Corey Heim took the unchartered No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota and claimed victory in simply his thirteenth profession begin.

He needed to cross championship chief and teammate Tyler Reddick in a head-to-head struggle, prevailing solely after an intense back-and-forth battle with just some laps to go.

In doing so, Heim earned the No. 67 its first-ever win within the historical past of the NASCAR Cup Collection racing. It took 650 makes an attempt for a driver to ship a win to the automobile quantity, and truthfully, it is an ideal time for it to occur with the 6-7 meme being a factor.

However what concerning the historical past of the No. 67 in NASCAR? That is what we actually wish to dive into right here, and it has an fascinating previous…

First begin: The automobile quantity first appeared in a Cup race on February 5, 1950, with Joe Harrison behind the wheel. He began thirty first and completed fortieth at Daytona Seashore highway course (sure, they raced on the precise seaside), solely finishing three laps. That was his one and solely begin on the high degree of NASCAR.

First high ten: It wasn’t till the next yr the No. 67 earned its first high ten, this time with Jim Fiebelkorn behind the wheel, ending seventh on the one-mile Langhorne dust observe in Pennsylvania.

1951 runner-up end: And whereas it took one other 75 years for it to achieve Victory Lane, the No. 67 really nearly received a race means again in 1951. Jim Reed drove the No. 67 on the Thompson half-mile in Connecticut, one lap behind race winner Neil Cole. He led 58 laps that day, which was a document for that automobile quantity that stood till Heim himself led 69 laps at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this yr.

1960 runner-up end: Reed’s runner-up end was as shut because the automobile quantity got here to a checkered flag till 1960, when NASCAR legend David Pearson drove the No. 67, giving it an actual probability of breaking by means of. Driving for himself, the long run Corridor of Fame used the automobile quantity all through the 1960 season as a Cup Collection rookie. On the quarter-mile South Carolina dust observe often called Gamecock Speedway, he earned pole place and finally completed second to Ned Jarrett. To this present day, that continues to be the one pole place ever achieved by the No. 67 automobile.

Different No. 67 stats and information

David Pearson (No. 67) leads Jim Pascahl (No. 49)

Photograph by: ISC Photos & Archives by way of Getty Photos

Reed’s runner-up end in 1951 and Pearson’s runner-up end in 1960 stood as the perfect outcomes for the No. 67 till June 21, 2026, when Heim was victorious on the all-new Naval Base Coronado avenue course. It additionally completed third on six completely different events,

Over the many years, the No. 67 automobile has began a complete of 650 races, main 154 laps whereas scoring 24 high fives, 114 high tens, one pole, and eventually…one race win.

Earlier than 23XI Racing introduced the quantity again on a part-time foundation in 2023 (with Travis Pastrana, Kamui Kobayashi, and later Heim), it was utterly absent from the Cup grid for 2 full many years, with Boris Stated final working it in 2002.

Heim’s win can also be the automobile quantity’s first high 5 in any Cup race since 1979! Buddy Arrington, who has made extra begins with the No. 67 than some other driver, completed third that yr at Talladega, and that was the No. 67’s most up-to-date high 5 till Heim got here alongside. Heim led simply three laps en path to the checkered flag in San Diego.

He’ll go full-time with 23XI Racing subsequent yr, and whereas crew co-owner Denny Hamlin appeared uncertain when requested, it seems he’ll go away the No. 67 behind drive the No. 35. However hey, even when that is the case possibly he’ll make historical past once more: The No. 35 has by no means received a Cup race earlier than both…

Corey Heim, 23XI Racing after 2026 San Diego win